Hope Is Mine (A Stalker Story)

Chapter 1

Something didn't seem to be right.

I always spared a glance at my back just to check if someone was following me but there wasn't anyone. I continued to walk my way to the cashier while I was holding all the stuff I picked: toothpaste, Doritos, a bottle of coca-cola, cooking ingredients for mom and sanitary pads.

I walked in a rush to the solitary cashier. By the time I have reached her, I hurriedly dropped the items in front of the petite blonde woman. She shot me an irritated look which I've just ignored.

While pacing back and forth, my attention was on my items that were being scanned by the woman and to the wall clock that was placed just in the front door of the small convenience store. I began to tap my feet, the sound that it made was audible throughout the whole store.

No one was in the store except me and the blonde cashier.

"$31.25," I heard the cashier said that made my attention turned towards her.

I immediately got my purse in the back pocket of my jeans and picked up $50. I handed the money to her which she immediately took. She pushed something on the cash register that made a high ping sound. After counting my change, she handed it to me along with the stuff I've bought and the receipt. As soon as my hand held the end of the paper bag, I dashed out of the store.

The humid and windy night welcomed me. The streets were deserted, most of the house lights were already off. The moon barely sheds its light when I needed it the most. The streetlights weren't helping either as most of them are flickering. Great. Just great. I muttered to myself.

My house was only 10 minutes away from the convenience store so instead of spacing out and wasting time, I began walking.

The uneasiness I felt in the convenience store didn't leave either. It actually just got worse. My sight is fixed on the pavement, making sure that I wouldn't trip or slip. No cars had passed by, and so the howling wind and the eerie silence of the street only made my heart flutter anxiously.

I knew from the very beginning that a walk in the middle of the night was a terrible idea, let alone snatching $50 in my parents' purse just to buy sanitary pads since it's my 3rd day now. Well, at least I've also bought my mom the cooking ingredients she had ordered me to buy since yesterday morning.

My eyes had already adjusted into the darkness, making me clearly see most of my surroundings. 3 minutes. I've been walking for only 3 minutes, yet it felt like it's been four hours. I walked 2x faster than before, but I was startled when I heard a crashing sound behind my back. Simultaneously, the cold air that brushed against my body sent a shiver down to my spine.

I stopped my steps. While my heart is beating like a drum, I try to pull the little courage left within me to quickly turn around and see what made the noise.

No one. There's literally no one.

I look at the houses around me, searching desperately for a sign of someone who's ruthlessly trying to pull of some dirty tricks in me, but there's absolutely no one around but me. Everything seemed fine and normal, everything looked the same as it was before, when I had passed by on it seconds earlier— except for the trash toppled over the streets. I don't think it was there before.  Then something moved in the corner of my eye.

It was a shadow that resembled a human figure.

Before my mind could even think about anything, my body already moved by itself, alarmed. I dropped the items I just bought and ran. My parents can kill me for wasting $40 worth of items, but I utterly refuse to die right at this moment.

"Shit. Shit. Shit," I cursed while gasping for air.

Someone's following me. I didn't actually see anyone but I can feel his or her presence behind me. This made me run faster than I've ever run in PE.